Vinnell

The Vinnell Corporation is an international private military company based in the United States specializing in military training, logistics, and support in the form of weapon systems maintenance and management consultancy. Vinnell Corporation is a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman Corporation. They are also party to other joint-venture companies, e.g. Vinnell-Brown & Root (VBR). The Vinnell Corporation was mentioned in Fahrenheit 9/11 for its connections to the Carlyle Group, George W. Bush, and the Saudi Royal family.

They conducted training of portions of the Saudi Arabian National Guard as a joint Saudi/American owned company called Vinnell Arabia. Vinnell Arabia was bombed on May 12, 2003 by Saudi terrorists. Ten Americans and three Filipinos were killed. Another employee was stalked from the military hospital to his home in Riyadh and assassinated on the street.

Vinnell Corporation was given the initial contract to recreate the New Iraqi Army in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Defense.[1] The contract was for nine battalions, with an option to extend the training to 27 battalions. In the event, the second phase was taken over by regular U.S. military forces.

History

Vinnell Corporation was founded in 1931 in Alhambra, CA, by Allan S. Vinnell as a hauling and excavating contractor. The company grew into construction of roads and buildings and constructed portions of the Pan American Highway as well as Dodger Stadium and portions of the Grand Coulee Dam. It had also diversified into production of steel and into mining operations. Vinnell also performed construction for the U.S. in Vietnam in the 1960s.

The company moved into operations, maintenance, and training largely in the 1970s. In 1975 the company undertook the Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program. In 1979 it moved into the Job Corps arena with the operation of the Shreveport (LA) center and later operated the Hubert H. Humprey center in St.Paul, MN; the Roswell (NM) center; the Laredo (TX) center; the Joliet (IL) center; the Gainesville (FL) center; the North Texas (formerly McKinney) center; and the Whitney Young center in Shelbyville, KY.

In 1992 the company was acquired by BDM International, which was in turn acquired by TRW Inc. in 1997. TRW was acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2002.

Notes

  1. ↑ Spearin, Christopher. "A Justified Heaping of the Blame? An Assessment of Privately Supplied Security Sector Training and Reform in Iraq - 2003-2005 and Beyond." In Military Advising and Assistance: From Mercenaries to Privatisation, 1815 - 2007, edited by Donald Stoker: Routledge, 2008.

External links

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